1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a resistor element, an electrostatic protection circuit, a temperature detection circuit, and an electro-optical device.
2. Related Art
Resistance elements are used in various applications in semiconductor circuits. For example, some electrostatic protection circuits have a protection resistor for protecting a downstream circuit from a current due to static electricity. While protection resistors are often formed of a material whose resistivity is relatively high (for example, a semiconductor film), a large current due to static electricity may cause the protection resistor to be fused due to Joule heat generated when the current flows through the protection resistor. In order to address this problem, for example, in JP-A-63-219169, a technique in which a metal film is connected to the semiconductor film via a contact hole to facilitate heat dissipation of the generated Joule heat is disclosed.
In the technique disclosed in JP-A-63-219169, however, there is a problem that, with respect to the portion where the contact hole is located, a current flows through the contact hole to a metal film having a relatively low resistivity, resulting in a reduced resistance.